Israel

Netanyahu is attempting to head off the Gantz-Lapid challenge before it can gain too much momentum. The announcement of his indictment on corruption charges further destabilizes Israel’s turbulent politics ahead of April elections.

JMEPP Levant Editor Kelsey Wise sat down with Former U.S. Ambassador Edward S. Walker Jr., who served in the State Department as Ambassador to Israel, Egypt, and the UAE, as well as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. The discussion covered U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, especially the changes it has […]

As Israel’s 2019 elections approach, Netanyahu remains popular despite corruption investigations and high-level defections from his ruling coalition in parliament. Centre-left parties must unite if they hope to defeat him.

BY SHAI KIVITY A tectonic movement in the nature of international relations has arrived, with most of the West ignoring it – the rise of China. As China’s GDP has recently surpassed the United States’, making it the strongest country in the world from an economic standpoint, the US has woken up to find itself […]

In this episode of the Middle East Weekly podcast we discuss the events that occurred in Gaza this past weekend, where the Israeli Defense Forces killed 18 people and injured nearly 1000 in reaction to Palestinian demonstrations near the border fence which separates Gaza from Israel. The Palestinian protests began on the anniversary of Land […]

BY EKRAM IBRAHIM When President Donald Trump declared in December that the United States would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, many observers heard a death knell for Palestinian hopes that Jerusalem would serve as the future capital of an independent state. But in reality, aspirations for an Arab Jerusalem died long before – […]

As Israeli control over Jerusalem crystallizes, the likelihood that the city can act as the capital of future Israeli and Palestinian states recedes rapidly. Increasingly, peacemakers and politicians are being forced to consider more creative solutions—and many are looking to the past for inspiration.

In our first story on this week’s episode we discuss the history of corruption charges against Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders. Next, we discuss the Turkish military’s attack on a Syrian convoy heading to reinforce YPG forces in Afrin. Finally, we discuss an underreported story of U.S. strikes killing hundreds of Russian mercenaries in Syria. If you want more information on any of these stories check out the articles we recommend below.

Although the Netanyahu administration has been roundly criticized for its brutal treatment of Palestinians, lack of commitment to the peace process, and flouting of international law, it might ironically be the more mundane charges of common graft that ultimately bring about the Prime Minister’s downfall.

President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem undoubtedly complicates the picture; is the Holy City a red-line issue which the Saudis will feel compelled to publicly object to? As guardians of the two holiest sites in Islam, there has historically been an expectation that the Saudis would repudiate such a move. But, in these new times, will the royals bite their tongues, calculating that the Kingdom’s deepening links with the Jewish state are more important than demanding that East Jerusalem be reserved as the future capital of a Palestinian state?

Middle East Weekly, JMEPP’s news podcast, goes behind the headlines on the region, explaining and analyzing the most pressing issues of the week.

BY MATT MCDOLE The clatter of rocks on limestone brings our conversation to an abrupt halt as we dart for cover along the sides of the narrow street. Under the questionable protection of torn awnings, our group of Harvard graduate students resumes the journey into the heart of the medieval Palestinian City of Hebron. Overhead, nets and metal grates hang down, sagging under the weight of kitchen […]